Love Counseling
by Admiral T. DeVanto
Summary: Despite his inexperience, Raizel is often sought after for love advice. Today, Shinwoo is his newest patient.


Raizel tried not to say anything about the disheartened aura surrounding his friend. For the past three days, Shinwoo's energy had been weighed down with worry. Raizel had waited, knowing that sooner or later Shinwoo would approach him, or someone, about what was troubling him.

Even now, he watched as Shinwoo strode into the living room. His spirit still carried that worried aura and his normal jovial smile was replaced with a thoughtful frown. From the corner of his eye, Raizel watched as Shinwoo dropped his backpack on the floor near the couch.

Raizel smiled as he took a sip from his tea. Even after graduating from high school and attending university, the children, or young adults, still frequented the home of the Noblesse whenever they could. They even treated the place like their second home. No doubt, Yuna and Ikhan would be joining them, and Sui after she was finished with work.

Shinwoo flopped down on the couch with a long and loud sigh. With his head tilted upward to look at the ceiling, he frowned. "Hey, Rai?"

Ah, there it was. Perhaps Shinwoo was ready to talk. "Yes?"

Shinwoo turned over onto his stomach to prop himself on his elbows and regarded his ancient friend. "Can I ask you for some advice?"

Raizel frowned and set his teacup down. Was this about his studies at university? If so, then Raizel was uncertain how else he could help his friend. Still, he gave Shinwoo a small nod.

Still uncertain, Shinwoo bit his lip and nervously looked around. "Um...it's about girls."

Raizel blinked. Oh.

Shinwoo fidgeted and his cheeks turning pink with a small blush. Finally, he slumped down. "What am I doing wrong?"

Raizel stared and felt an overwhelming amount of pity for his friend, despite not knowing what was ailing him. Reaching over, he pat Shinwoo's head. The red-head closed his eyes and leaned into his touch. "Thanks buddy."

Raizel retracted his hand with a smile. "Of course."

"It's just," Shinwoo exclaimed. "I don't know what to do about Seira!"

Raizel tilted his head. "Seira?"

Shinwoo nodded. "Yeah! I mean, we've been going out for a few months." Even now, Shinwoo still blushed at the idea of dating his beautiful, longtime crush. "But...whenever I try to...initiate something with her, she becomes withdrawn."

Raizel stared.

Shinwoo's blush reddened. "I... whenever we go to hold hands, she pulls away. Or when I try to give her a hug, she stiffens up. Or even...kiss."

"You've tried to kiss Seira?" a voice demanded.

Shinwoo yelped at the intrusion and rapidly rolled off of the couch. Raizel just sighed at the interruption. "What are you guys doing here?" Shinwoo demanded as he glared at the two newly arrived Nobles.

Real scoffed while Regis frowned. "For starters, I live here, and-"

"And nothing!" Rael cut in with a glare leveled at the human. "What was this about you trying to kiss Seira?"

Shinwoo stuttered. "Well-I... on the cheek! I only tried to kiss her on the cheek!" He helplessly looked at Raizel. "Is there something I am doing wrong?"

Raizel hesitated, but Shinwoo caught onto his pause. "So, there is!" Shinwoo exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet. "Rai, please tell me, is it a Noble custom? How do Nobles even date? At least tell me so I can make this relationship work!"

Raizel's eyes flickered over to Regis. It was quick and small, but Regis caught the look and the hidden message within it, and he stepped in to help. With a sigh, Regis strode forward. "Look, Shinwoo, you're not doing anything wrong. From what I can understand, Seira wants to be with you. But she's trying to cope with the courtship rules of our species while attempting to understand your dating system."

Shinwoo nodded as he slowly sat back down. "Alright, I figured that much. But how do you guys date? Are there certain rules I should follow to make her more comfortable in our relationship?"

Regis held up a hand. "First of all, it's called 'courting,' not 'dating.' When we court someone, it is not a whimsical fling for fun. It is a serious event when two beings are seriously considering a life-long partnership."

Shinwoo nodded. "Oh." His eyes widened and he blushed. "Oh!"

Ignoring the human's sudden and flustered state (though Raizel could pick up Shiwnoo's erratic heartbeat with his hearing) Regis continued. "Secondly, you would not hold hands with her until you are at least a hundred years into your relationship. That is the next step into a proper courtship."

Shinwoo visibly choked. "A-a hundred years!" he gasped.

Regis shrugged. "You practice patience and diligence while keeping your desired partner in mind-"

"But I'll be dead!" Shinwoo exclaimed.

Rael scoffed. "Then you're just her fling."

Raizel glanced at the Kertia Family Leader with a frown.

Regis hesitated, as if he had just realized how short of a lifespan humans had. "Ah, I guess you could shorten it to fifty years."

Shinwoo slumped. "Great." He looked up when Raizel pat him on the back. The Noblesse gently smiled at Shinwoo.

"I'll talk to her," he promised. "Seira wants your relationship to work, and she is probably unaware of your human customs."

Shinwoo managed a hesitant smile. "Okay." He paused. "But I don't want her to feel pressured into anything. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making her uncomfortable."

And that, in Raizel's opinion, is why Shinwoo was a good match for the Loyard Family Leader.

* * *

Despite graduating from high school and attending university, the Nobles insisted on walking the children home. Yuna and Sui eagerly chatted with Regis and Raizel while Ikhan tried (and failed) to convince Rael to come to the PC Bang. Shinwoo and Seira lagged behind, yet still stuck with the group.

Reaching their regular destination point, Shinwoo hesitated. He clenched his hands as he resisted taking Seira's hands into his own. He had to remember that hand-holding might make her feel uncomfortable, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Instead, he turned to give her a smile and a small bow. "See you tomorrow?"

Seira smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes." Then, with a pause, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Shinwoo. Resting her head on his shoulder, she tightened the embrace for a small moment before letting him go. Stepping back, she ducked her head. "See you tomorrow," she demurely said before joining her companions, but not before Shinwoo saw her blush.

His smile had never been wider.

* * *

"Rai! Tell me more about your Noble dating customs!"

Raizel smiled at his friend's outburst while Regis scowled and reminded him of the difference between "dating" and "courtship." Sui and Yuna looked up from their deck of cards with interest. "Dating?" Sui questioned. She smiled. "Oh Shinwoo! Are you making headlines with Seira?"

Shinwoo awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Uh, kinda," he admitted with a blush. He looked at the Noblesse. "I just need to know what the boundaries are. Can I hold her hand in public? Do I have to seek Regis' grandpa's permission to formally date-ah I mean, court her?"

Raizel set his cards down and looked thoughtful for a moment. Hm, what could he remember about the courtship rules? "The physical boundaries are only limited between what you are comfortable with," he said. "Because Seira is a Family Leader, you will have to wait for her to initiate any hand-holding."

"It's her way of declaring to everyone that she has selected you as a suitable mate," Regis stated. "And stop blushing! This is perfectly normal! Seira is merely staking her claim."

Raizel continued as if he had not been interrupted. "However, Seira is more than willing to meet you halfway, and you could be the first one to express your desire to hold her hand." He hesitated. "However, you do not need to seek approval from Gujetel. He is not a part of her clan."

Shinwoo frowned. "But isn't he her paternal figure in some way?"

Regis cocked his head. "What does that have to do with courting Seira?"

Shinwoo sputtered until Sui cut in to explain to the two Nobles. "Usually, approval from the parents or parental figures is sought after when two people start dating." She shrugged. "Though, some people don't care about that anymore."

"Seira is more than capable of making that decision on her own," Regis scoffed. "However, if you two are going to become serious in your relationship, you will have to meet the Lord in a formal setting to seek her blessing."

Shinwoo smiled. "Ah, well Raskreia already likes me...so...I think I'm good."

Raizel and Regis remained silent.

* * *

Not for the first time, Shinwoo barged into the living room with a wide smile. This time, an intense game of checkers was interrupted between Sui and Raizel, while Yuna and Karius were the captive audience. Upon the red-head's sudden and loud entrance, everyone paused their activities and looked up.

"We held hands!"

Raizel beamed at his excited friend. "Good job."

Sui and Yuna ecstatically clapped for Shinwoo. "That's awesome!" Sui gushed. (It completely escaped everyone's mind that they were celebrating over a simple accomplishment. But this was the same group that cheered when Rai finally opened a door.)

"Who held who's hand?" Karius asked as he looked around in confusion.

Shinwoo smiled at the Blerster Family Leader. "Seira and I! We held hands for an entire ten minutes!" Beside him, Yuna was typing rapidly onto her phone. Moments later, the group chat was fired up with responses of congratulations from Ikhan, a thumbs up from Tao, and a puzzled emoji from Takeo. Rael even sent a purple devil emoji. How cute. At least he was being supportive.

Karius was still staring in surprise. "Holding hands already? Aren't you moving a bit fast here?"

Shinwoo shrugged. "Well, figuring that I could die in a hundred years, we decided to go ahead and do it right away."

"You could still wait fifty years," Karius pointed out.

The deadpanned look Shinwoo sent him went unnoticed by the Blerster leader, who leaned forward. "But I suppose that Seira will want to move things on rather quickly to rebuild her clan and insure a future for the Loyard family."

Shinwoo blinked. "What?"

"Of course," Karius said as he looked Shinwoo up and down. "She will need a suitable mate if she is to produce strong heirs."

Shinwoo looked scandalized while Yuna and Sui tried to hide their giggles. It was then Raizel decided to do damage control. "Seira is not thinking about the future of her clan," he assured Shinwoo. "She is focused first and foremost on her relationship with you." The relief on Shinwoo's face was dashed away when Raizel continued on. "Of course, it is nice to have some insurance as a Family Leader."

Karius nodded. "Precisely." He focused on Shinwoo once again. "Tell me Shinwoo, have you kissed her yet?"

Shinwoo's face flared up. "Wh-what? K-kiss Seira?"

Sui rolled her eyes. "Shinwoo, she's your girlfriend for goodness sake! It's alright to think about kissing your girlfriend!"

"B-but…" Raizel grew worried (and fascinating) at the different shades of red displayed on Shinwoo's face. Shinwoo gulped. "We-we aren't there yet." He looked at Raizel. "Right? Isn't there a Noble courtship custom rule?"

Raizel nodded. "A kiss is only reserved to married partners."

Shinwoo looked relieved (and a bit disappointed).

"However," Karius mused, catching Shinwoo's interest. "There is another way for you to express your affection for Seira. It almost resembles a kiss."

Shinwoo perked up. "Really?"

Yuna and Sui glanced at each other with amused looks; the irony that Shinwoo was taking kissing lessons from Karius of all people.

Karius shrugged. "It's an ancient gesture. Heck, I'm not sure I've ever seen it performed before." He nodded at the Noblesse. "I am sure Sir Raizel could offer you some insight."

Now, it was Raizel's turn to blush. "It is an intimate gesture."

"But not as intimate as a kiss," Karius pointed out.

The three humans traded confused looks. "What's not as intimate as a kiss?" Yuna asked.

Karius shrugged. "Oh, it's an old-fashioned gesture that couples used to do during my father's time. It was close to a kiss," he shot Raizel a small smirk. "But not quite one. Usually, it was a declaration of love and eternal devotion."

"Is it like making out?" Shinwoo bluntly asked.

Karius sputtered while Raizel looked confused. Yuna blushed while Sui sighed. "Ignore him," she said. "He's an idiot."

"No!" Karius exclaimed, standing up and glaring at Shinwoo. "It is a sacred gesture and one that should be treasured between two couples! It proclaims your desire to become life-long mates! In some cases, it is more precious than a kiss!"

"Then tell me what it is!" Shinwoo demanded.

"Sir Raizel could tell you!" Karius exclaimed as he pointed at the Noblesse.

Raizel coughed and avoided eye contact with the eager humans.

"Oh, come on Rai!" Shinwoo exclaimed. "You've gotta tell me how to do the kiss-but-not-a-kiss-thing!" He then looked down, abashed. "I want to respect Seira and her customs."

Raizel hesitated but then felt a deep understanding for his friend. He sighed. He really wanted the relationship between Shinwoo and Seira to work out, and if this would help Shinwoo, then he could not fail his friend.

Without a moment's hesitation, he stood up and calmly strode around the small table. "I cannot tell you how it is done," he said. Kneeling before Sui, he gently took her hands. "But I can show you." He leaned in and gently caressed her face before pulling her close. Brushing his nose against hers. His cheeks were pink, as were Sui's, when he finally released her.

Standing up, he smiled down at Sui before reclaiming his seat where his warm tea was waiting. The silence in the room did not bother him as Karius gaped, while Yuna began to smile.

Shinwoo exploded. "Whoa! Did Rai just make out with Sui?!"


End file.
